Game employing successively toppling game pieces



L. B. ROSEN Original Filed Aug. 25, 1964 April 25, 1967 m R. F m m 8 O we T Wk 1% m B m m 02M MB United States Patent Original application Aug. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 392,375. Divided and this application Mar. 17, 1966, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 461) This .application is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 392,375, filed Aug. 25, 1964.

This invention relates to an amusement device and more particularly it relates to a game board designed for use in combination with a plurality of playing pieces which can be aligned thereon and successively toppled, thereby permitting the amusement device to function as a racing game.

It is well known that when certain types of upstanding playing pieces, such as dominoes, are located in spaced alignment along a path, manual toppling of the endmost playing piece in the path will cause it to strike the penultimate playing piece which in turn strikes its adjacent playing piece and so on until the entire row of playing pieces has been serially or successively toppled. The alignment and toppling of such playing pieces not only serves as a time-consuming form of amusement for children, convalescent patients, and others, but also serves as an exercise for increasing manual dexterity.

However, while the aforementioned alignment and toppling of playing pieces can take place along a linear path, there has in the past been no means for a single toppling operation to turn a. corner and to thus continue toppling of pieces in another intersecting linear path unless the pieces were arranged in a broad are or radial curve at the intersection of the paths. Similarly, there has been no means for a reversing type toppling operation, wherein forward toppling in one path continues into rearward toppling in an adjacent path. It is felt that the amusement value derived from such an arrange ment can be greatly enhanced by providing a game wherein at least two sets of paths are provided, with each set of paths including a forward path and a rearward path. Thus, the game can be utilized as a racing game wherein each player topples playing picees along his own set of paths. The player whose pieces first traverse both the forward and the rearward playing paths would be the winner of such a game.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an amusement device which employs a plurality of toppling playing pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game board having a series of arranged paths thereon, with such a board to be used in conjunction with a set of playing pieces which may be aligned and toppled along such paths.

Another object of the present invention ,is to provide a racing game device which utilizes a series of playing pieces arranged along a series of playing paths, with toppling such pieces being simultaneously initiated, and with the first player whose pieces are entirely toppled being the winner of the game.

Further general, though equally significant, objects of the present invention include the provision of an amusement device which: (a) is easily manipulatable by hand to permit playing pieces to be digitally aligned and toppled; (b) is inexpensive, yet is durable and attractive; (0) allows playing pieces to be serially toppled around sharp corners; and (d) provides an enjoyable recreational unit which increases manual dexterity.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with 3,315,404 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a game device in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the game device of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are fragmentary views, partially in section, of portions of the game device of FIGURE 1.

If reference is now made to FIGURE 1, there is shown therein an amusement device generally designated 10 which is capable of functioning as a race which two or more persons may participate therein. The device 10 includes a game board generally designated 12 formed as an open-topped box having a planar base or bottom surrounded by a pair of upstanding side walls 112 and a pair of upstanding end walls 114. One of the end walls is provided with a notched opening 116. A plurality of parallel playing paths 113 are imprinted on the bottom 110, with four such paths being shown in the device of FIGURE 1.

A pivotal gate means 14 utilized with the device of FIGURE 1, and such gate means is similar to that disclosed in my parent application Ser. No. 392,375, mentioned hereinabove. As such, it includes a flat base member having an upstanding tubular sleeve 122 thereon. A post 124 is rotatably mounted within the sleeve and projects above the upper end of the sleeve. A pair of transversely extending pins 126, spaced 180 apart, project from the upper end of the post 124. Each gate means 14 is disposed medially between the two outermost paths 118 and the pins 126 extend at least partially across each of these paths when faced perpendicularly thereto.

As can best be seen in FIGURE 2, a bridge 128 can be provided centrally of each path 118. The bridge includes a series of steps 130, each designed to accommodate a playing piece 16, with such steps gradually ascending to the center of the bridge and then descending therefrom. A set of guard rails 132 may be provided on opposite sides of the center of the bridge to assure that the playing pieces will not accidentally fall sideways off the bridge.

An initiating or starting mechanism, as shown in FIG- URE 3, includes a support 134 having a central bore through which a rod 136 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the playing paths 118. The rear end of the rod 136 extends rearwardly of the support 134 and can be manually engaged through the notched opening 116. The forward end of the rod 136 extends forwardly of the support 134 and is provided with laterally extending arms 138, spaced 180 apart, which project at least partially across the two center paths 118.

As one end of each of the outermost paths 118, a finish indicator is provided. The indicator, as can best be seen in FIGURE 4, includes an arch 140 having an opening therein aligned with the path 118 to facilitate passage of a playing piece 16. A rod 142 extends transversely across the arch and is rotatable therein. The ends of the rod 142 project beyond the outer limits of the arch and at one end of the rod a short pin 144 is attached. At the other end of the rod, a longer pin 146 with a flag 148 thereon is attached. A central arm 150 depends from the rod within the arch and is adapted to be contacted by a toppling playing piece 16 to pivot the rod 142 and thus lower the flag 148 to the dashed line position shown in FIGURE 4. A projection 152 is attached to one side of the arch to allow the pin 144 to abut against the same and thus maintain the flag in a normally raised condition.

To utilize the game board 12 as an amusement device, playing pieces 16 of the type previously described are positioned in spaced relation along the paths 118 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. To use the device as a game which two people can play, each player would take two paths, with one player setting up the pieces on the two left-hand paths and the other player setting up the pieces on the two right-hand paths. Then, when one player manually pushes the starting rod 136 forward, the arms 138 strike the first playing piece in each of the two center paths and topple such a piece in the manner shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 3. When one piece topples, it strikes and topples the next adjacent piece and topples it, thus creating a successive toppling action along the playing paths 118. As the last piece in an inner path topples, it strikes and pivots a projecting pin 126 on the gate means, thus causing a pivoting which moves the other pin 126 into contact with a piece in the outer path 118. The pieces in the outer path thus successively topple until the last piece strikes the arm 150 hanging downward within the arch 140. When the arm 150 is struck, it pivots upward, thus lowering the flag 148 to signify the winner of the race, If, for example, the flag on the right-hand side of the device lowers first, then the person having the right-hand paths istthe winner.

After reading the foregoing description, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of this specification have been successfully achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. A racing type amusement device comprising:

a game board having a planar bottom with a plurality of playing paths extending therealong in spaced parallel relation;

a pivotal gate means disposed at one end of said board between at least two of said playing paths;

said gate means including a pair of projecting arms adapted to extend at least partially across each of said paths;

a pivotally mounted indicating flag disposed at the opposite end of one of said paths;

a plurality of upstanding playing pieces disposed in spaced alignment along said playing paths;

said pivotally mounted indicating flag including a depending leg extending into said path;

5 said playing pieces having means whereby said pieces are adapted to be successively toppled upon digital actuation of one piece in one path to thus strike and pivot said gate means projecting arms to in turn successively topple the playing pieces in the next adjacent path until the last piece in said next adjacent path strikes said depending leg to cause said indicating flag to pivot to a lowered position.

2. A racing type amusement device as defined in claim 1 wherein said pivotal gate means includes:

a base member which rests upon said planar bottom between a pair of playing paths;

said base member having an upstanding sleeve thereon;

an elongated post rotatably mounted within said sleeve;

said pair of projecting arms extending from the upper end of said post;

said projecting arms being spaced substantially 180 apart.

3. A racing type amusement device as defined in claim 1, further including a movable starting means having a portion extending at least partially across one of said paths, said starting means being digitally movable to contact said one piece in said one path, thereby initiating toppling of said playing pieces.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner. M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RACING TYPE AMUSEMENT DEVICE COMPRISING: A GAME BOARD HAVING A PLANAR BOTTOM WITH A PLURALITY OF PLAYING PATHS EXTENDING THEREALONG IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION; A PIVOTAL GATE MEANS DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID BOARD BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO OF SAID PLAYING PATHS; SAID GATE MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF PROJECTING ARMS ADAPTED TO EXTEND AT LEAST PARTIALLY ACROSS EACH OF SAID PATHS; A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INDICATING FLAG DISPOSED AT THE OPPOSITE END OF ONE OF SAID PATHS; A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING PLAYING PIECES DISPOSED IN SPACED ALIGNMENT ALONG SAID PLAYING PATHS; SAID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INDICATING FLAT INCLUDING A DEPENDING LEG EXTENDING INTO SAID PATH; SAID PLAYING PIECES HAVING MEANS WHEREBY SAID PIECES ARE ADAPTED TO BE SUCCESSIVELY TOPPLED UPON DIGITAL ACTUATION OF ONE PIECE IN ONE PATH OF THUS STRIKE AND PIVOT SAID GATE MEANS PROJECTING ARMS TO IN TURN SUCCESSIVELY TOPPLE THE PLAYING PIECES IN THE NEXT ADJACENT PATH UNTIL THE LAST PIECE IN SAID NEXT ADJACENT PATH STRIKES SAID DEPENDING LEG TO CAUSE SAID INDICATING FLAG TO PIVOT TO LOWERED POSITION. 